Many people recognize this emblem, but how many know the history behind it and its significance today? It was the religious symbol worn by the Knights of St. John in the Middle Ages. The knights chose the shape of the cross to represent the spiritual qualities blessed by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount. The four arms of the cross symbolize the Christian virtues of Prudence, Temperance, Justice, and Fortitude. Each of the points on the cross represents one of the eight Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount, which praise the spiritual strength of the underprivileged and those who work for peace and the relief of suffering. The whiteness of the cross symbolizes the purity of life required of those who wear the emblem. This eight pointed cross became known as the "Maltese Cross" after the Knights settled on the island of Malta from 1520-1798. The lion and unicorn between the angles of the Cross represent Bravery and Wisdom. They are the supporters of the British Royal coat-of-arms and were granted by the British Crown to show that the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John is a British Royal Order.

• St. John Ambulance has a history that dates back almost one thousand years making the Order of St. John the oldest charitable organization in the world.

  

• 1023 - A number of wealthy merchants from Amalfi, a small republic on the Italian coast, restored, among other things, a monastery occupied by Benedictine monks.

• The monks cared for the sick and injured in the Holy City of Jerusalem. From these beginnings of service to Christian pilgrims, the Order of St. John was born. In recognition of the generosity of these merchants the monks adopted the badge of Amalfi--an eight-pointed white cross on a background of black. It was an emblem that throughout the centuries was to be associated with the work of devoted men and women performing deeds of mercy in the service of mankind.

• 1095 - The first Crusade or Holy War begins

• 1099 - Christian armies wanting to keep holy places safe for Christian pilgrims fought the Muslims and finally captured Jerusalem. This was called the first Crusade. After acquiring a property where the ancient Monastery of St. John the Baptist had stood, the Order adopted St. John the Baptist as its patron saint and so took on the name St. John.

  

• 1113 - The Pope noticed that the Order of St. John was doing good things for the poor and sick. He decided to officially recognize it as a religious order known as Hospitallers.

• 1119 - Despite the Christian conquest of Jerusalem, pilgrims continued to be attacked. The role of armed protection was added to the duties of some of the Hospitallers. These knights formed a military order of the Hospitallers known as the "Order of Templars". They were also referred to as the "Knights of St. John". The Order of the Hospital was not only the first military religious order of chivalry, but indeed the first order of knighthood of any kind.

• 1291 - The Knights of St. John settled on the island of Cyprus until 1309, when they found a more permanent home on the island of Rhodes. They stayed on Rhodes for over 200 years.

• 1522 - The Knights of St. John were driven away from Rhodes by Turks. They then settled on the Mediterranean island of Malta.

  

• 1530 - They began to fortify the island and take the name of the Knights of Malta. After a quarrel with the Pope, King Henry Vlll abolished the Order of St. John in England in 1540 and confiscated its properties. Queen Mary reinstated the Order during the temporary return of the Roman Catholic faith in England. However, properties were once again confiscated by Queen Elizabeth 1, and remained essentially dormant in England for 300 years.

• 1798 - Napoleon decided he wanted the island of Malta for France. His armies fought the Hospitallers for two days and won. This was the end of the Order of St. John as a fighting Order.

• 1831 - The Order was revived in England and was constituted as an independent Order under the British Crown.

• 1870 - The Order of St. John in England offers to do ambulance work in the field during the Franco-Prussian War. The first ambulance services of the order were organized in 1872 in the pottery and mining districts of England.

• 1877 - The St. John Ambulance Association was started. Its aim was to train people in first aid and ambulance support.

• 1882 - The St. John Ophthalmic Hospital started in Jerusalem to provide care to people afflicted with eye diseases and injuries.

• 1887 - The St. John Ambulance Brigade started in England. Thousands of people were trained in first aid and the Brigade provided first aid and ambulance service at public events.

• 1888 - Queen Victoria granted the first Royal Charter and made the British Order of St. John a Royal Order of Chivalry.

  
  St. John Ambulance in Ontario

  

• 1884 - First recorded First Aid class taught in Ontario was held at the Royal Military College in Kingston.

• 1909 - First unit of the St. John Ambulance Brigade was formed in London.

• 1918 - St. John Ambulance helps organize voluntary efforts during the Spanish flu epidemic.

• 1945 - Brigade members serve in shifts of 24 hours a day for three days when a tornado hit Windsor. During this year Brigade members also rescued 150 injured from the water after the cruise ship Harmonic caught fire and they attended to the injured in Port Arthur (Thunder Bay) after a grain elevator had blown up.

• 1949 - Brigade members cared for injured passengers after the cruise ship Noronic caught fire.

• 1954 - Brigade members worked with the police by controlling traffic, checking looting and assisted with the transport of dead and injured after Hurricane Hazel.

• 1956 - St. John Ambulance is invited as a consultant body to the Workers Compensation Board.

• 1970 - Brigade members assist at the crash site of a DC-8 at Malton.

• 1979 - Brigade members operate evacuation centres and assist in evacuating hospitals and nursing homes during the Mississauga train derailment; Canada's worst peace time evacuation.

• 1985 - Brigade members work with other emergency services to rescue people after a hurricane hits Barrie.

• 1988 - Brigade members provide assistance during the forest fires in the Fenelon Falls district.

• 1992 - Therapy Dog Program introduced in Peterborough.

• 1998 - St. John Ambulance members played a major role helping people who were caught in the ice storm which hit eastern Ontario and southern Québec.

     To continue the tradition that began centuries ago, the Cobourg Branch of St. John Ambulance was established almost twenty-nine years ago at the St. Andrews School Centre. Sometime after this, a brigade was also established in Port Hope. A few years ago, the Port Hope and Cobourg divisons amalgamated and we are now located at 700 D'Arcy St. in Cobourg. The Lakeshore Branch is very active on many fronts. We continue to provide First Aid Training to the public and local industry with nationally certified instructors. Our Brigade members receive training on an ongoing basis while attending weekly meetings. First aid coverage is provided on a voluntary basis at an average of one hundred events each year. Some examples include: major sporting events such as baseball and soccer tournaments; figure skating competitions; outdoor festivals. Throughout the year we also receive numerous requests to give presentations to a variety of organizations within the community. A very popular and recent addition to St. John Ambulance has been the Therapy Dog Program. These animals must successfully pass a temperament test and then they can make regular visits with their owners to such places as Nursing Homes and Hospitals providing a little sunshine for the people whose lives they touch.

     The local Branch of St. John Ambulance is overseen by a Board of Directors and funding comes primarily from the United Way, course revenue, and donations.

     Our mission is to enable Canadians to improve their health, safety and quality of life by providing training and community service.